Decorating

Built-in beauties

For unity, the night tables and floor are the same colour.

Photograph by: Barry Calhoun

Hi Jeffrey,

My husband and I are renovating the second floor of our home. It's a 60-year-old, three-storey house and we are changing the floor plan to accommodate a large master bedroom with ensuite. The wall that our king bed will go on is 16 feet in length and nine feet high. I'm thrilled to have a large bedroom, but I feel like our bed and nightstands are going to get lost on this wall. Do you have any ideas to make it seem cozier? And although I love wallpaper, my husband told me to tell you he would move out if you suggest it in his bedroom.

Thank you, - Ashley

Well, Ashley, right from the start I see your husband and I aren't going to get along!

Or maybe he's touched a nerve with me because wallpaper is indeed my go-to wall treatment when I want to add atmosphere or coziness to a room. I'll have to dig a little further into my bag of tricks.

How do you think he will feel about an entire built-in wall unit that houses your bed and nightstands? That's what Vancouver-based designer, Kelly Deck (kellydeck.com) did with the master suite pictured on this page.

The wood stain of the built-in is similar in tone to the stain on the floor; it appears to continue up from the floor while everything else in the room remains neutral. The light tones of the bed, walls and upholstered furniture pieces are a great contrast to the floor and built-in.

The three-inch-thick profile running up the walls and across the ceiling gives the piece a substantial feel and the clean lines of the nightstands appear to be floating weightlessly beside the bed. The bed platform is upholstered in the same fabric as the individual panels above. Notice the three lights inset in the wood above the bed, providing perfect pin lighting for atmosphere or reading.

For your room, draw this bed and built-in a few times over on plain pieces of paper. Now assume the role of decorator and alter this design to suit your needs. Perhaps you would like to see panels of mirror run from the top of each nightstand to the ceiling? Or maybe you will incorporate shelving into your built-in or larger fabric panels in pattern and colour? Even if you have a window on your wall this could look amazing built around the window, using it as a feature. Maybe you want to put moulding on the back of your built-in and hang art in the centre of each panel? (I won't even recommend putting wallpaper in the centre of each panel.) I suggest you hand over one of your blank drawings to hubby, so he can have input as well. Between the two of you, you should have no less than half a dozen working sketches by the time you're done this exercise.

My point is that this design has great bones and can be easily adapted to suit yours and your husband's needs. Treat this photo as a launching off point and make it your own.

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